Cordage-machine.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANZ J. F. GRAB, or PASSAIO, New JERSEY.

CORDAG'E-IMACHINIE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 633,957, datedSeptember 26, 1899.

Application filed Jamm '7, 1899. seen at. 701,511. KNo model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANZ J. F. GRAF, of

Passaic, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have inventeda new and Improved Cordage-Machine, of which the follow-H ing is a full,clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention isto providea new andimprovedcordage-machineformanufacturing ropes, cords, cables, and likearticlesin a very simple and economical manner without requiring long rope walksand skilled mechanics, the machine being capable of turning out a largequantity of rope of a high similar characters of reference indicate cor-I responding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improvement with parts in section.Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is an end view of one of the. drawing devices and adjacent parts,and Fig. 4 is a plan View of the twisting-thimble.

The improved cordage-machine is mounted on a suitably-constructed frameA, supporting a post B, on which is mounted to turn the frame 0,preferably in the shape of a disk,- and driven from the maindriving-shaft D by gear-wheels D a'ndqO', secured on the shaft Bend theframe 0, respectively. The main driving-shaft D carries fast and loosepulleys E, connected'by a belt with other machinery for imparting arotary motion to the shaft D' and by the gear-wheels D and G to theframe 0 to rotate the latter horizontally on the post B. I I

In the frame 0 are arranged a number of radial slots C in each of whichis held arod G on which is mounted to turn loosely a gear-Wheel F inmesh with a gear-wheel F, fastened to the post B by a set-screw or othersuitable means, so that when the frame 0 is rotated the severalgear-wheels F roll 0d on the fixed gear-wheel F. The rods 0 carrying thegear-wheels F, are made adjustable to permit of using different-sizedgear-Wheels extending flange of the frameO.

F on the fixed gear-wheel F, The hub F of each gear-wheel F extends inan upward direction to form a bearing for the bobbin G,

between'which passes the strand H, unwinding from the correspondingbobbin G for the particular'flier I. The lowerdrawing-roller J carrieson its shaft a worm-wheel J in mesh with a worm J secured on a shaft Jjourn aled in suitable bearings carried by the flier I, and on thisshaft 3 is secured abevel gear-wheel J in mesh with a fixed bevelgearwheel C rigidly attached to an upwardly- It is evident that when thegear-Wheel F is rotated on the turning of the frame C, as previouslyexplained, a rotary motion is given to the flier I, so that the drawingdevice 1 moves around the bobbin, and at the same time the bevelgear-wheel J 6 rolls off on the bevel gearwheel G so that a-tnrnin gmotion is given to the shaft J and the worm J which latter rotates theWorm-wheel J and the'lower drawing-roller J Now as the strand H passesbetween the two drawing-rollers it is evident that the strandis unwoundfrom its bobbin, the strand being then passed several times around thearm of the 'flie'r carrying the draw- .ing device or through aperturesin the same to finally-pass from an opening I in the flier over thebeveled collar (3 to and upon a fixed a disk K, secured to the upper endof the post B, the peripheral surface of said disk being 1 beveled, asis plainly indicat-ed'in Fig. 1.

Now as the flier revolves and is carried around bythe frame 0 it isevident that a twisting of the strands takes place between the flier andthe fixed disk K, the twisted strand then passing from the disk K to thetwisting de-, vice Lin the form of a thimble, the upper portionL ofwhich is mounted to turn in a suitable bearing carried by a bracket A ofthe main frame A. Y I The lower portion L of the. thimble hisbell-shaped and is provided with a number of apertures L correspondingin number to the number of bobbins carried by the frame O. For instance,as shown in the drawings,

four apertures L are formed in the thimble to correspond with the fourbobbins supported on the frame 0. The apertures L stand at angles toeach other and terminate in a common opening in the upper part L of thethimble, in which the twisting takes place as the thimble is carriedaround in its bearings by the action of the strands H moving with thefliers I. The twisted strands then pass between pairs of rollers N N andO and O and through an eye P to wind up 011 a reel Q the roll of rope,cord, or cable resting on two rollers R and R. The rollers N and O aremade heavy and are mounted loosely in bearings A and A carried by thebracket A, while the lower rollers N and O are journaled in fixedbearings and are driven from the main shaft D by the gearing presentlyto be described.

On the shaft for the lower roller 0 is secured a sprocket-wheel 0connected by a sprocket-chain O with a sprocket-wheel O, secu red on atransversely-extending' shaft S, journaled on the bracket A, the saidshaft carrying a wormwheel S in mesh with a worm S secured on a shaft Sconnected by gear-wheels S and S with the main drivingshaft D, so thatwhen the latter is rotated a rotary motion is transmitted by thegearwheels S S to the shaft S and the latter bythe worm S and worm-wheelS rotates the shaft S and the sprocket-wheel 0 which by thesprocket-chain O and the sprocket-wheel O rotates the roller O.- On theshaft of this roller 0 is further secured a sprocket-wheel N connectedby a sprocket-chain N with a sprocket-wheel N on the lower roller N, theconnect-ion being such that the roller N is r0- tated somewhat moreslowly than the roller 0 to cause a stretching of the cord, rope, orcable between the pairs of rollers N N and O O. The rollerR is alsorotated by sprocket wheels and chain from the lower roller 0, asindicated in Fig. 1, to givert-hc desired tension to the article betweenthe rollers O O and the eye P to prevent curling up of the finishedarticle previous to its being wound in a roll on the reel Q.

The operation is as follows: Then the several parts are in position, asindicated in the drawings, and the filled bobbins G are mounted to turnon the hubs F between the gearwheels 0 and the horizontal members of thefliers I and the several strands H are passed through the drawingdevices and the fliers up over the fixed disk K and passed through thetwisting device L to form a twisted cord,

rope, or cable, then the rotation of the frame 0 causes a drawing of theseveral strands by the drawing devices J to unwind the strands from thebobbins, as before explained. The

several strands are each independently twisted between the fliers andthe fixed disk K,

and then the several strands are twisted toget-her in the thimble, andthe twisted article is passed between the rollers N N to and between therollers O and O to hold the twisted article firmly stretched, especiallyas the rollers O O rotate at a higher rate of speed than the rollers NN. The finished article then passes through the eye P to wind up on theroll Q, driven by the roller R.

It is understood that by the arrangement described any desired number ofstrands can be independently twisted and then twisted together to form arope, cord, or cable of as many strands as there are bobbins carried bythe frame C.

It will further be seen that the entire ma chine takes up acomparatively small space, and it can be run at a high rate of speed, sothat it takes but a short time to finish the article and without thehelp of a skilled mechanic.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A cordage-machine comprising a revoluble framearranged for carrying a plurality of bobbins, a drawing device for eachbobbin to draw the strands therefrom, a flier carrying the said drawingdevice to rotate the latter around the bobbin, means for rotating thesaid flier and a twisting device receiving the strands from theseveraldrawing devices, substantially as described.

2. A cordage-machine comprising a revoluble frame arranged for carryinga plurality of bobbins, a drawing device for each bobbin to draw thestrand therefrom, a flier carrying the drawing device, to rotate thelatter around the bobbin, and means, substantially as described forrotating the said flier moving with the frame, as set forth.

3. A cordage-machine comprising a revoluble frame arranged for carryinga plurality of bobbins, a drawing device for each bobbin, to draw thestrand therefrom,a flier carrying the drawing device, to rotate thelatter around the bobbin, means, substantially as described, forrotating the said flier moving with the frame, and a fixed disk for thepassage of the several strands from the flier, to permit of twisting thestrands independently of each other, as set forth.

4. A cordage-machine comprising a revoluble frame arranged for carryinga plurality of bobbins, a drawing device for each bobbin to draw thestrand therefrom, a flier carrying the drawing device, to rotate thelatter around the bobbin, means, substantially as described, forrotating the said flier moving with the frame, a fixed disk for thepassage of the several strands from the flier, to permit of twisting thestrands independently of each other, and a twisting device for twistingthe several strands together to form a cord, rope or cable, as setforth.

5. A cordage-machine comprising a revoluble frame arranged for carryinga plurality of bobbins, a drawing device for each bobbin to draw thestrand therefrom, a flier carrying the drawing device, to rotate thelatter around the bobbin, means, substantially as described, forrotating the said flier moving with the frame, a fixed disk for thepassage of the several strands from the flier, to permitof twisting thestrands independently of each other, a "twisting device for twisting theseveral strands together to form a cord, rope or cable, and a stretchingdevice for stretching the cord, rope or cable, after leavingthe twistingdevice, as set forth.

6. A cordage-machine comprising a revolubleframe, a series of rodscarried by the said frame, gear-wheels having upwardly-extending hubsand mounted to turn on the said rods, a fixed gear-wheel engaged by thesaid series of gear-wheels, a flier on the hub of each gear-wheel in thesaid series and rotat-- ing therewith, a bobbin mounted to rotateloosely on the hub of each gear-wheel in the series, a drawing devicecarried by the flier and rotated around the bobbin for drawing ofi thestrand therefrom, the said drawing device being actuated from the saidrevolnble frame and means for rotating the said frame, substantially asshown and described.

7. A cordage-machine comprising a revolu ble frame, a series of rodscarried by the said frame, gear-wheels mounted to turn on the said rode,a fixed gear-wheel on which the said series of gear-wheels rolls off, aflier on the .hub of each gear-wheel in the said series, a

bobbin mounted to rotate loosely on the hub of each gear-wheel in theseries, a drawing device carried by the flier for drawing ofi the strandfrom the bobbin, the said drawing device being actuated from the saidframe by a gearing comprising a fixed bevel gear-Wheel on the frame, abevel gear-wheel in mesh with the fixed gear-wheel, a worm on the meansfor rotating the drawing device, means for actuating the drawing deviceand a fixed disk to which pass the strands from the vdrawing device totwist each strand independently of the other between the drawing devicesand the fixed disk, substantially as shown and de-' scribed.

9. A cordage-machine comprising a revoluble frame arranged for carryinga plurality of bobbins, a drawing device for each bobbin and carried byand moving with the frame, the said drawing device being mounted torotate around the bobbin, means for rotating the drawing device aroundthe bobbin, means for actuating the same and atwisting device receivingthe strands from the several drawing. devices, substantially as shownand described. r

10. A cordage-machiue comprising a revoluble frame, a series of rodscarried by the said frame, gear-wheels mounted to turn on the said rodsand having upwardly-extendin g hubs, a fixed gear-wheel around which thesaid series of gear-wheels revolve when the frame is turned, a flier onthe upper end of the hub of each gear-Wheel, abobbin mounted to rotateloosely on the hub of each gearwheelin the series, a drawing devicecarried by a depending arm of each flier and rotated around the bobbin,and means for actuating the said drawing device, substantially asdescribed.

ll. A cordagemachine provided with a revoluble frame, a series of rodscarried by the frame and adjustable therein, gear-wheels mounted to turnloosely on the said rods and having upwardly-extending hubs, a fixedgear-wheel'in mesh with the series of gear- 0 wheels, a flier on the hubof each gear-wheel,

a bobbin mounted to rotate loosely on the hub of each gear-wheel in theseries, a drawing device carried on an arm of the flier and rotatedaround the bobbin, a beveled collar secured'on the upper end of each ofthe series of rods above the flier, a fixed disk having its peripheralsurface beveled, the strands passing over the beveled collar and uponthe fixed disk and a twisting device for twisting 10c the severalstrands together, substantially as set forth.

12. In a cordage machine, a revoluble frame provided with means forsupporting a I plurality of bobbins, a beveled gear-wheel r05 fixed tothe frame below each bobbin, and a drawing device mounted to rotatearound each bobbin for drawing off the strand therefrom, the saiddrawing device comprising a bevel gear-wheel in mesh with the fixedbevel 1 1o gear-wheel on the frame, a worm on the shaft of the saidbevel gear-wheel, a worm-wheel in mesh with the said worm and a pair ofdraw ingrollers, one of which carries the said worm-wheel, substantiallyas shown and de- II 5 scribed.

FRANZ J. F. GRAF.

Witnesses:

EDWARD G.- SMITH, V 'lnonas MURAYNE.

